5th Edition... This is something I have been waiting, and also been afraid what it will change and how much. Then again, there has been many additional and modified rules on many sourcebooks over the years.
I'll try to evaluate WFRP5 Core Rulebook chapter by chapter digging into differences to previous WFRP4 Core Rulebook rules. I'll probably miss some changes and revised rules, but I'll try to give some quick and simple idea about most important rules and differences and also what remains the same.
Generally - this is the same product. Same game mechanics, just little updated and revised rules of what we already have in WFRP4. Previous sourcebooks should work pretty fine with this edition and probably future sourcebook with WFRP4, if you don't want to update.
But, here goes!
Cubicle7:
WFRP5 Core Rulebook
I'll try to evaluate WFRP5 Core Rulebook chapter by chapter digging into differences to previous WFRP4 Core Rulebook rules. I'll probably miss some changes and revised rules, but I'll try to give some quick and simple idea about most important rules and differences and also what remains the same.
Generally - this is the same product. Same game mechanics, just little updated and revised rules of what we already have in WFRP4. Previous sourcebooks should work pretty fine with this edition and probably future sourcebook with WFRP4, if you don't want to update.
But, here goes!
Cubicle7:
WFRP5 Core Rulebook
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Chapter I - Introduction (WFRP5) / Introduction (WFRP4):
I'm not going to go to details on this chapter. Pretty much the same idea on both editions, but with different artwork and stories.
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Chapter II - Character Building (WFRP5) / Character (WFRP4):
- Species. Still the same (no Ogres, no Gnomes - which do appear on Bestiary). WFRP5 opens each species better giving the names, physical details, starting skills, talents, fates, fortunes and so worth on the same description. Own language(s) is now separated skill, with a +30 bonus and starting skills get little differently their bonuses (WFRP5: 5 x +5 versus WFRP4: 3 x +5 and 3 x +3).
- Characteristics remain the same. I don't know why Wood and High Elves are separated. But as for the previous abilities there is only Fate and Fortune and no Resilience and Resolve. And no extra points anymore.
- Skills. Their default advance is now +5. So, starting skills had previously (WFRP4) 40 advances, but now "only" 8 (which are +5 each).
- Wounds are calculated same way on both editions.
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Chapter III - Class and Careers (WFRP5) / Class and Careers (WFRP4):
The Careers look and probably remain pretty much the same (but not 100%). Each get now that 10 Skills at first Level. WFRP4 it was eight, which didn't give enough variations for the Careers and was changed to 10 on sourcebooks after that. I haven't checked each and every Career how much is the same, because there is definitely changes all the way - Characteristics, skills, talents.
Previously you could not buy previous level talents anymore, but now you can. So, in WFRP5 you can buy both skills and talents from all the levels you have advanced through. Also, to advance next level in WFRP5 you need to get 10 advances, which I gather are any of the following: Advance Skill, Advance Characteristic, Gain Talent, Acquire a Trapping from the next level. On WFRP4 you had to advance all the skills you have to certain level and have at least 1 Talent from current career. There is a major change on Talent gaming mechanics, but that comes on next chapter.
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Chapter IV - Skills and Talents (WFRP5) / Skills and Talents (WFRP4):
Skill list seem to be the same on both WFRP5 and WFRP4. Which is good - WFRP4 had pretty perfect list of skills.
But then we have the Talents. The amount of Talents in WFRP4 (not to mention that the list has expanded with various sourcebooks over the years) made me really happy when WFRP4 came out. Huge amount of possibilities and options to custom Careers. What made me even more happy, was the Talent level system. I think it made the Talent system and Career levels even more interesting. And now it is changed!?!
They changed the system back to what it was in WFRP2. Some Talents maybe taken multiple times, but most just once. And this is kind of a sad change. It is also big change too, as it changes the nature of many, or all, of the Talents. Example: Let's take legendary "Strike Mighty Blow". On WFRP4 you could take it as much as your Strength Bonus and each level would give that +1 to Damage. Now, it is just single +1 to Damage, but +2 if you have Advantage. I'm not going to go through all the Talents and how they have changed, but like I said there is a lot of changes here how they work now. Also some new ones or new names. Yet, it is not all bad. Some Talents make much more sense or the description is way better build. So, something good too.
One of the things you notice on Talents is Advantage, Momentum and Disadvantage. More about those next chapter.
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Chapter V - Rules (WFRP5) / Rules (WFRP4):
The Skill rules are the same, but now you just have SL modifiers. So, no more Average (+20) to skill. It becomes Average (-2 SL) to skill. This makes sense. Outcomes are pretty much the same, yet not. The Outcome table is little modified. On WFRP5 book many of the rules are much more better explained (and they should be as this is a new version).
Nothing new with Fate and Fortune and like I said before no more Resilience and Resolve. I could go with either way, but WFRP5 is more simple.
Then this chapter has nice amount explaining and detailing different skill uses. This is really good. I like more deeper look and options for the skills. Like difficulty levels skill based. But this chapter also provides example outcomes and difficulty factors, which makes this even better. These are very useful tools to both GM and Players.
And then the COMBAT. Again, pretty much the same, yet some rules have changed. The advantage system is now little different - see below. Many of the previous WFRP4 rules are now just clarified or explained better.
Then some new rules: With Advantage you may reverse the digits of a roll if that is better for you. If you gain Disadvantage then reverse the digits to worse. You may have multiple sources of both Advantage or Disadvantages and then the extra ones give either +1 SL or -1 SL.
Momentum. If you gain Momentum on a battle, you gain Advantage to any Melee Test you make until you fail somehow (or suffer damage, or gain Condition). Momentum also mentions that with it you can do extra attack. I'm not really sure is the momentum just bonus for next attack actions or the extra attack too?
Then chapter goes to the injury (Wounds, Critical Wounds, Healing...) which is pretty much the same too, with Critical tables (still no Wings).
Diseases and Poisons get some additional details.
Psychology traits cut "Prejudice (Target)". Well, don't miss that.
Then we have Conditions. There is a new one called "Besmirched".
Chapter also has the Corruption and Mutations, one of the core themes of grim and perilous adventuring. But nothing new here. I would have loved to see few pages more details about those mutations. List is similar on both editions.
One thing is lacking again. And that is the sanity rules. This is something a Warhammer setting could use. Good sanity rules, not just some Psychology Conditions.
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Chapter VI - Between Adventures (WFRP5) / Between Adventures (WFRP4):
This Chapter was good addition on WFRP4 and on WFRP5 it still is.
On this chapter there are rules for spending XP and Advance Career. This includes Characteristic and Skill advancement XP Cost table. New, and more simple, table. All the advances there are now done by +5 points at time. This is actually Endeavour now.
Besides XP stuff there are still events and other Endeavours.
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Chapter VII - Religion and Belief (WFRP5) / Religion and Belief (WFRP4):
Nothing new really here. Chapter is very much the same on both editions.
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Chapter VIII - Magic (WFRP5) / Magic (WFRP4):
And here comes the magic. These rules are pretty much the same as in WFRP4, but there are some additions here too. Original rules didn't have for example Overcasting, which is now added to the rules (from WFRP4 Winds of Magic).
You got the Petty Spells, Arcane Spells, Colour Magic, Witch Magic, Dark Magic, and Chaos Magic. Pretty much all from the WFRP4, but there are couple of new spells here. I wouldn't have mind if the new Core rulebook wound have collected even more released spells here.
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Chapter IX - The Gamemaster (WFRP5) / The Gamemaster (WFRP4):
Nothing special here. Maybe few advise more and a lot more event/encounter tables.
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Chapter X - Glorious Reikland (WFRP5) / Glorious Reikland (WFRP4):
Always something new, and still pretty much the old stuff. Reikland is still the same place. Personally I wouldn't even add details like this to main rulebook. It would be better to create just that sourcebook, like WFRP2 Sigmar's Heirs, without any game rules and full only these details and maps and pictures and adventure ideas...
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Chapter XI - Consumers Guide (WFRP5) / Consumers Guide (WFRP4):
Time to go to market. Let's try to sum differences here.
Melee Weapon Table has some changes. Sword and rest of the "Hand Weapons" are now separated. Net is now Basic weapon too. There is Garrote, which is Brawling weapon. Shields have gone to Armour Table, except Buckler, which is on Fencing with all the former Parry weapons. Whip is on Flail now. Spear and Bastard Sword 1-handed/2-handed rules added. Some Qualities and Flaws changes. Looks good, but I think expanded weapons list from WFRP4 Up In Arms would have been nice addition here.
Ranged Weapon Table has also changed. We have lost Elfbow. Entangling weapons doesn't have that Whip anymore, but there is Bola and Net (here too). Dart is gone. Engineering weapons have Hockland Long Rifle. Some of the ranged weaponry cause more damage and some Qualities and Flaws have changed.
Qualities that are gone now: Accurate, Distract, Impact, Shield (this has actually gone to Armour). Impact is still mentioned on various places, so this could be mistake (and good quality for huge-sized of weaponry).
New Qualities: Inflict (Condition), Magical, Parry
Flaws that are gone now: Slow, Tiring
New Flaws: Unbalanced (from WFRP4 Up In Arms)
The rest of the equipment has some new stuff too, like Magical Items (for Wizards).
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Chapter XII - Bestiary (WFRP5) / Bestiary (WFRP4):
As for the new WFRP5 creature and NPC table and look - I love it. It takes more room, but the new format / table organizes the stats much more better and you can see all the rules more easily.
Some new additions to Bestiary. All the stats get more details with this new style and there is also Templates to create more powerful versions (similar found from various sourcebooks).
But where are the Fimir! Disappeared to the mists... Again... They are not the only ones that are gone. Jabberslythes, Hydras, Basilisks... Some monsters we had in WFRP4 Rulebook are not on the WFRP5 Rulebook anymore.
Some of the Traits have new rules, like Size (outnumbering different sized creatures and bigger creatures cause now more damage). There are also even new Traits: Marks of Chaos.
- By the way - I also have the new Reikland map. It's cool, but not as accurate and detailed as the original one that was published with WFRP4. And Nuln is missing river junction.
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